1. Technical Field
The present disclosure relates to contests and games. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to systems and methods for hosting and conducting contests between participants who assemble respective so-called ‘fantasy’ teams, the rosters of which consist of individuals selected from a pre-determined pool of actual athletes, and who compete with one another in a ranking arrangement based on statistics derived from the actual performance of such athletes on the field of play.
2. Background Art
Most sports enthusiasts find enjoyment in attending contests between amateur and professional sports teams, viewing such events on television, or listening to them via radio. Some true fans occupy a fair amount of the time interval between sports contests involving their favorite teams and players with discussing recent games, comparing notable athletic performances, and contemplating the likelihood of future wins and losses; in other words, more or less immersing themselves in the pleasant distractions of the sports world. Currently, so-called “fantasy” sport contests provide such fans, as well as others, with numerous outlets for their enthusiasm and passion. For example, the interactive contest system disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,018,736 to Pearson et al. permits competition among an unlimited number of participants, each of which selects a team roster. Each participant's team roster is evaluated on a periodic basis based on a formula for calculating scores that employs statistics which reflect the actual performances of the roster members, and team roster totals are compared for discrete periods of competition to determine which participants have accumulated the highest scores.
One shortcoming associated with such fantasy sports contests is that, to be competitive, participants must often develop detailed knowledge of the statistics, capabilities, and current status of a large number of players, and/or of teams to which such players belong, not all of which will typically be of particular interest to any one participant. In addition, it can be difficult and time-consuming to manage or administer such contests based on a variety of factors, including but not limited to: 1) the sheer number of sources (e.g., game results/box scores) from which statistics relating to the roster members' performance (and bearing on the ultimate ranking of the participants) are often drawn, and 2) the staggered and unpredictable availability of such statistics (e.g., due to the differences in lengths of different games, different game starting times and time zones in which games are played, possibility of cancellation of games due to inclement weather or other complications, etc.). Annoyance, delays, and confusion can result, any or all of which can have the predictable effect of tempering the pleasure of participating in such contests. Thus, despite efforts to date, a need remains for fantasy sport contests that reduce opportunities for annoyance, delays, confusion, complication etc., while still preserving the pleasure and enjoyment generally inherent in athletic competition.